Cigarette-packing machine.



H. BILGRAM.

GIGARETTE PACKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 21. 1908.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY WNESSE NITD BTATEB f v a w 5 FIQE.

CIGARETTE-PACKING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGO BILGRAM, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cigarette-PackingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for packing cigarettesand in particular to that part of such machines by which the cigarettes,fed to the machine in bulk, are automatically put in the order in whichthey are to be located in the package to be made. To this end the lowerportion of the hopper in which the cigarettes are placed by the operatoris divided into vertical compartments by partitions and my inventionconsists particularly in making these partitions flexible and providinga device by which the upper ends of the partitions receiveareciprocating motion while the lower ends remain stationary, so thatthe partitions, or at least the upper portion of the partitions, assumea pendulum-like mo tion, changing their angular position to pre vent thebridging or arching of the cigarettes and the consequent interruption intheir passage from the hopper.

The partitions may be made of elastic material so that the rockingmovement takes place within the limits of their resiliency or they maybe made of two halves hinged together so that the lower portion partakesof the rocking motion by which the cigarettes are agitated to arrangethemselves in the compartments.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of referenceindicate similar parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a frontview of a hopper with hinged partitions, in part shown in section; Fig.2, a transverse section of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows the partitions in theirextreme positions; Fig. l represents a front view of the partitions;Figs. 5 and 6 show a modification in which the partitions are made ofelastic material.

In Figs. 1 to i, A is the hopper or receptacle adapted to receive thecigarettes.

B. B are the lower, or stationary, and C C the loose or rockingpartitions. These latter Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 21, 1908.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

Serial No. 428,417.

have lugs 0 c on both ends as shown in Fig. 4:, which serve as hinges.

The bars D D, Figs. 1 to 3, are rigidly secured to the sides of thehopper and are provided with notches d d, in which the partitions G Grest. The bars E E are joined to the bars D D by means of links F F andare provided with notches e e which engage the upper lugs of thepartitions C C. Between the bars E E are fastened the cross plates G Gwhich form the movable bottom of the hopper, preventing cigarettesplaced in the hopper from dropping down outside of the partitions G C.By means not shown in the drawing a reciprocating motion is conveyed tothe bars E E whereby the portions C C assume a rocking motion indicatedin Fig. 3, by dotted lines.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a modification in which the partitions B, instead ofbeing articulated, are made of elastic material, held firmly by theirlower edges and joined to the reciprocating bars E E. The stationarybars D D of Figsl to 3 are not needed in this case. In every otherrespect the above description applies to this modification.

By a lateral pusher, not shown in the drawing, the lowest cigarettes arepushed out, to be carried to the packing device. WVhen this pusher iswithdrawn the partitions will readily fill themselves, as the motion ofthe upper ends of the partitions is such that an arching of theoverlying cigarettes will be prevented and the resulting agitation,while not destructive to the cigarette, is adequate to keep thepartitions filled.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In a machine for packing cigarettes, and incombination with a hopper for holding the same, partitions, the upperends of which are movable and the lower ends of which are fixed, betweenwhich the cigarettes are discharged from the hopper, and means forimparting to the upper ends of said partitions a reciprocating motion.

2. In a machine for packing cigarettes, and in combination with a hopperor receptacle for holding the cigarettes to be packed, a two partpartition between which the cigarettes are discharged from the hopper,the

the upper sect-ions a reciprocating motion by which the angular positionof these sectlons 1s alternately changed.

HUGO BILGRAM.

Witnesses J. ROLLIN PARKER, MORTIMER A. JONES.

